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NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND AUCKLAND CLIMATE
NEW ZEALAND
Located about 1,000 miles southeast of Australia, New Zealand comprises two main islands, the North and South islands, and numerous smaller islands. About one-third of New Zealand is mountainous; the two principal islands are long and narrow, affording many bays, fjords, and harbors. The North Island is studded with active volcanic mountains and hot springs; it also boasts New Zealand's largest lake, Taupo, and longest river, the Waikato. The South Island, affectionately called "The Mainland" by its residents, contains the country's largest regions of virgin forest, and the Southern Alps run along its length. New Zealand is home to a variety of exotic animals, including the kiwi, the tuatara, and unusual species of parrots, reptiles and frogs. The only land mammal native to New Zealand is the bat.
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AUCKLAND
Auckland, New Zealand's largest city and largest port, is situated on a northern isthmus of North Island. Greater Auckland's most important feature is the 70-square-mile Waitemata Harbour, which serves international and domestic shipping. From this port are shipped New Zealand's chief exports, including meats, hides, iron, steel and dairy products. Auckland is also the country's industrial center; its chief industries are metal trades and engineering; leather, clothing, textiles, footwear, shipbuilding, boiler making, timber, paint, glass, plastic, chemicals, cement, food processing, fishing, sugar refining and brewing.
Auckland is a lovely, cosmopolitan city nestled amongst volcanic hills, lush subtropical foliage and a proliferation of beautiful bays. Because of its location on a narrow isthmus, the city is nearly surrounded by water, offering ample opportunity for water sports, swimming and yachting. In fact, yachting is so popular in the area that Auckland has earned the nickname "City of Sails." Popular dry-land tourist spots in Auckland include the City Art Gallery, the War Memorial Museum, the Auckland Museum Te Papa Whakahiku, and the Auckland Observatory and Stardome.
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CLIMATE
Because of its geographical isolation and its latitude, New Zealand's temperatures tend to stay within a fairly moderate range, with no extreme heat or cold. There is, however, a characteristic weather sequence caused by alternating high-pressure systems and cyclone fronts: a few days of pleasant, clear weather, then a few stormy, often rainy days. In summer, the spells of clear weather last longer, with daytime temperatures averaging 70° to 80° F; in winter, stormy periods dominate, with daytime temperatures rarely dipping below 50° F.
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